My Favorite Things

Dear Blog Readers,

I am sorry. I am sorry that I have not posted anything since August 10. I am sorry that whenever you check out my blog all you see is the same: the same pictures, the same words, the same everything.

My absence is for a good reason. Or shall I say reasons. But I will not bore you anymore, instead, I am going to reveal to you.......

My Favorite Things!

Yes, friends, it's my favorite things....just like Oprah, only you won't be going home with anything. But please do read on, for I know there will be at least one thing that is my favorite thing that will quickly become your favorite thing if you give that one thing a try or listen. Please read on!

In the category of personal hygiene and the pursuit to stay looking in my 20's when I am no longer in my 20's, the award goes to.......

Aveda Beautifying Oil

It has the amazing ability to make my skin, scalp, and hair feel as soft as a baby's you-know-what. Have sandpaper elbows? Rub on some oil and in a week you will notice the difference! Does your scalp get dry in the winter? Work in some oil before you go to bed and by morning you will no longer suffer from dry scalp? Does you hair get dull and brittle? Slather some oil on the ends of your hair and it will help restore the shine. And oh, does this stuff smell gooooood!

In the category of technology and for it's ability to make life so much easier, the award goes to.....

zamzar.com

I can't tell you what the lizards have to do with it, but this website works miracles. Have you ever gotten a file sent to you that you cannot open because you do not have the software to view it? It happens to me a lot. And now you and I both have a place to turn......zamzar.com folks! Next time you get a file that you cannot open, simply save the file to your computer, then go to zamzar, download the file you cannot open as prompted, decide what software you want to have it converted to so you can view it, fill in your e-mail address so the converted file can be sent to you, and then you are done!

In the category of reading for enjoyment but also for enlightment, the award goes to......

"A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini

Oh, this book! This book is heartbreaking. Yet it's so heartwarming. This book will make you realize just how forutnate we are to live in a free country. This book will enrage you. It will devastate you. But it will teach you. It will teach you what life was like, and likely still is like, for the women in modern Afganistan. Written by the same author of "The Kite Runner," this book will catapolt you into the lives of two women and will take you on a journey as their lives intersect and ultimately, save each other.

In the category of weeknight news, the award goes to......

Anderson Cooper 360 on CNN

I enjoy watching this braodcast during the week because it's smart and fresh. I remember seeing Anderson Cooper when he hosted this reality TV gameshow called "The Mole" and was impressed with him then. And now that he is behind a desk delivering the latest news and interviewing guests, well I am even more impressed. I like Anderson......Anderson for President? He'd get my vote......as long as his views alight with mine!

In the category of getting me in the mood for chillier weather (hey, not all of us enjoy summer that much!) and making me want to get our tree out of storage, the award goes to.......

Amy Grant: Home for Christmas

Who else?! Gosh, this woman was born to sing Christmas music! No one can hold a candy cane to her voice when she is singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." I have all three of AG's Christmas CD's and this is her best one for sure......however, she has a fourth one coming out on the 30th, so maybe that one will top the Christmas tree!

In the category of helping keep my house and dishes clean while being kind to the earth, the award goes to......

Shaklee's Basic H2 Cleaning Concentrate and Dish Wash Automatic Concentrate

Go to http://www.shaklee.com/ and you will see these and other products to use at home that are non-toxic, bio-degradable, and all around not harmful to the environment. The Simpleton household is committed to being enviro-friendly, and the products we use to keep our home clean and tidy do not have any hamrful checmicals in them. It's the chemicals in most commonly used cleaning products that can lead to asthma and other breathing problems, not to mention their ability to pollute our streams, rivers, and oceans. Please consider switching over to products that are not harmful to you, your children, and our world.

And this concludes this edition of My Favorite Things! I'll do more of these in the future with the hope that you might discover something new when I do.

Well, I think it is safe to expect that I will be returning to posting more regularly, and in case you thought I forgot, I will be announcing the winner of my last contest soon!